Cinder-Zuko
by etanunu
Summary: Cinderella AU Request: Once upon a time, in a far off land, young Zuko struggles after his mother's death as he's left to follow his father and sister's orders like a common servant. Everyday seems grayer than the last, until he meets a kind stranger who he doesn't recognize as the princess. A masquerade is his only chance at meeting her again, but he'll need help to get there.
1. Chapter 1

**Cinder-Zuko: Chapter1**

 _Cinderella AU Request: Once upon a time, in a far off land, young Zuko struggles after his mother's death as he's left to follow his father and sister's orders like a common servant. Everyday seems grayer than the last, until he meets a kind stranger who he doesn't recognize as the princess. A masquerade is his only chance at meeting her again, but he'll need help to get there. Zutara_

The sun's rays hit Zuko's outstretched fingertips in the early morning. The gentle warmth roused him from his dreams. When he took a deep waking breath, last night's ashes tickled his lips. His hand snapped up to scratch and wipe his nose with a groan. Grudgingly, he opened his eyes and sat up.

His right cheek was freezing from where it had rested on the cold stone floor of the kitchen. Zuko yawned and felt the scarred skin on his left eye stretch a bit more tightly than the right side. He faced the dead fireplace with contempt. Even if the kitchen was warmer than his room in the attic, the fire never lasted long after he fell asleep.

He flipped onto his feet and went about starting the fire up again for Azula's morning tea, not that she ever drank it. Zuko peeked out the window and saw the half-blue, half-orange sky signaling sunrise. His father would be up soon.

Quickly, he wiped as much ash and dirt from his hands on his battered apron. He fell asleep in yesterday's clothes again, he realized with a sigh.

In no time, Zuko prepped for breakfast. He pulled the risen dough from a cupboard (prepared last night) and a small jar of dried oolong. He rushed outside to fetch some water, eggs, and a fresh branch of rosemary. The hot water boiled as he quickly pulled the dough into 6 pieces. The rolls were in the oven just as the water finished boiling. He fried the eggs with rosemary and let the tea steep off the fire as he waited for the rolls.

Just before everything was finished Azula began her morning yelling. "Zuko! ZUKO!"

He pulled the rolls out and separated the four best, placing them on two different trays. There were only enough eggs for his father and Azula today, so he knew he wouldn't be able to save some for himself.

"ZUUUUUUKO."

"I'm on my way!" he shouted back, rushing to organize the trays and stack them on top of each other.

With a deep breath, he took another look outside. Birds flew outside freely toward the horizon. "Help me get through today, Mom," he whispered before straightening his back and going about his cursed routine.

X

That same morning, a princess woke up a few hours after the sun had already risen. Pushing past the heaviness of sleep, Princess Katara went to the water basin in her room and went about washing her face and combing her hair. She looked out the large glass doors that lead to her bedroom's patio and took note of the sun's position. The patio gave her a clear view of the center of town, the woods at the outskirts, and all the way to the small beach and expansive ocean that circled the island.

Katara smiled and pulled her late mother's betrothal necklace up to her neck. She quickly got dressed and headed downstairs to the dining room. As usual, her father and brother were half-eating, half-planning relationship expeditions to better trade with the neighboring kingdoms.

"Morning," she said with a short wave.

"Hey," Sokka mumbled. He was reading a scroll while holding a long piece of what looked like meat between his teeth. Katara wondered if he even knew he wasn't eating.

The blue, casual, dress she wore indoors got her father's attention as usual. "Katara, why don't you wear that long, silk dress I saw you in last week?"

She took a seat in the ridiculously long table, across from Sokka. Her hands moved deftly over the trays of fruit, nuts, and fish as she picked her breakfast. "That was for the festival of Tui and La. Today I plan on going to the creek with Master Pakku."

Hakoda sighed, "More fighting lessons?"

"Meditation and balance, actually." Katara cut a mango, imported from the nomadic temples up north, as she spoke. The fruit glistened like a sunset. The sweet, almost slimy fruit was so different from the plums her country was known for. She grabbed a piece by the skin and peeled the fruit from it with her teeth as she took a bite. "You act like learning to fight is so bad but Sokka is marrying a warrior from Kyoshi."

"Warrior _princess_ ," he corrected primly. Sokka's eyes widened, finally realizing he had a piece of uneaten meat sticking out of his mouth. "Plus, Suki trains with a lot of other women from their island. You just run off with our almost, kinda-sorta grandpa to the forest on your own."

She glared and pointed at her brother with her knife. "Master Hama is there too!"

"Whatever," he said waving her comment away. "Point is, you've never even fought anyone while Suki is a seasoned warrior. You know she lead the fight against—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all know how amazing your fiancé is, Sokka." She rolled her eyes. "I love Suki, but I swear if you keep bragging about her accomplishments like they're your own—"

"I do not—!"

"Enough," Hakoda interrupted. The two stopped arguing but crossed their arms. "Since we're already on the subject of your engagement, Sokka," the young man grinned broadly, puffing out his chest, "I'd like to discuss the upcoming ball for Suki's arrival."

Katara brightened at the slight change in topic. She'd been looking forward to welcoming her new soon-to-be sister in law. The last few times Suki had visited their country, she had been so much fun to be around. Since she came from a small island, she didn't seem as bound to the code of conduct other Princesses prided themselves on. All three of them had even snuck out of the palace to a dance some of the young locals held in a cave.

Her father looked at her sternly. "Now, Katara, I know this is the last thing you want to talk about." Suddenly, her good mood plunged to the ground. "The ball will be attended by all of our allies and some of the most respected dignitaries in the kingdom." Not this again, she thought with a deep frown. "They will most likely bring their sons along. It would be a great time to finally find you a sui—"

"Can we talk about this later?" She asked, standing and grabbing a few nuts and emergency fruit for later. "I really shouldn't make Master Pakku wait. If you'll excuse me."

"Katara—"

With a forced smile she walked away. "Bye, Dad. We'll talk later." She ignored the small bit of guilt she felt from walking away from her father. "I promise."

As she left she heard Sokka shout, "She took the last mango!"

X

Ozai slammed the door of his office on Zuko as the young man left to go to his room for some trade documents _Zuko_ had let him leave behind that morning. It was Zuko's duty to help him move everything he had in one room to the other every morning and evening. The only good thing Zuko was able to say about his father lately was that at the very least the man's obsession with his work could be confused for passion. The man dealt mostly in dealing gunpowder and explosives with the military and nearby allies of the kingdom.

Ozai's temper was unrivaled, however, and he had the habit of punishing Zuko in whatever way he saw fit the boy's indiscretions. This varied from things like downgrading his living quarters from a fine bedroom on the second floor for the attic to making Zuko "test" some highly flammable new product.

The latter had been the worst, a result of Zuko speaking against the unethical build of a new gun that could result in a 45% chance of the gun exploding and severely injuring the user. Ozai yelled at the boy for insulting the engineer, one of his employees, during the meeting and thereby insulting him. He was furious Zuko had the audacity to speak about things he knew nothing about, like the potential low cost of manufacturing that lead to that design. Additionally, Ozai thought he had been overly generous to let the boy sit in on the meeting and told Zuko that if wanted to speak like an uneducated house worker he could be one.

Thus, resulting in his role as the only servant in the house and the burn scar on his left eye.

When Zuko knocked on the office's double doors, after retrieving the remaining file he'd overlooked earlier, Ozai gave no response. With a sigh, he walked inside, left the files on the desk, and left. His father gave no sign of acknowledgement. The lack of physical violence or punishment was a welcome reprieve.

Finally, though it was an hour till noon, Zuko was able to return to the kitchen to eat the leftovers he'd saved from breakfast. Even if everything would be cold and the probability that he'd probably burn the tealeaves while trying to reheat the water was high, he felt a swell of happiness nudge the corners of his lips up.

When he stepped inside, he was unfortunately greeted with six pairs of eyes and the plopping sound of his breakfast being thrown into the trash.

"Hey, Dum-Dum," Azula greeted with a smirk. She dusted her hands dramatically, as if it took effort to get rid of the crumbs on her fingertips. "Ty Lee and Mai are hungry."

Ty Lee smiled and waved at him, unaware of the tension in the room. As always, Mai didn't say anything to him as long as Azula was in the room. To think that before his mother's death, her silence used to be a result of her shyness around him and now it was a result of fearing being shamed by Azula.

He glared. "There were two perfectly good bread rolls you could have fed them, but you just tossed them in the trash."

Her eyes widened in mock disbelief, "Those things?" Ty Lee's smile faltered, finally reading the room. "They were stale."

"I made them this morning."

"You honestly expect me to believe those rocks were fresh?" She laughed haughtily. "Either way, it's almost lunchtime. You should go to the creek and get us some fish."

He was aware of the time. The hollow aching in his stomach told him just how much time had passed since he woke up.

"It's cold, Azula, by the time I caught something it'd be dinnertime." Zuko said crossing the room. He walked right past the group of women toward the stove's small flame. The pot was hanging there already.

He could hear Azula roll her eyes and checking her nails in that condescending manner she had mastered. "Well then catch us a rabbit or something." Sparks flew up as he dropped a new log into the fire. "I shouldn't even have to tell you what to do. Just figure it out, Zuko. You've been _slaving_ away in this kitchen how long now?" He knew she was trying to get a rise out of him on purpose. Deep breaths, he reminded himself. "Do your job. We'll be here when you come back."

Still not turning to look at them, he stretched his back as he stood. Their footsteps were almost silent as the three left the kitchen Carefully he grabbed the kettle and pulled it off the fire. At least, he'd have something before going into the woods.

Just as he thought about how light the kettle was he heard Azula call back to him. "By the way, I gave the rest of the tea to the girls."

Not for the first time, Zuko wondered how long his punishment would last.

X

As it turned out, Master Pakku was busy that day. So Hama and one of the palace guards accompanied Katara to the creek. She was still expected to practice balance exercises with Hama. Though the woman was more of an expert healer, she had at one point been a spy for the kingdom and knew combat.

In the woman's old age she wasn't much of a sparring partner, but she was still terrifying in other ways. At times, she taught Katara about strategy and poisons that could be made from plants she had once only thought were only healing remedies.

They were currently standing on a few slippery stones by the small waterfall a bit down creek. Katara mirrored her mentor's stance and movements. They stood on one leg with the other leg tucked up to their chest. Their arms were stretched above their heads, with their elbows bent out slightly. In perfect sync with her teacher, Katara turned her hands up and brought them down and forward in front of her stomach. As her arms moved down so did her leg. When her foot touched the ground her body moved into a lunge matching the pushing motion of her hands.

"Follow the flow of the current," Hama instructed in a grave voice. "Let the water teach you how to make your movements fluid, free from any constrictions your body may trick you into believing."

Katara focused on her breathing. Matching it to the push and pull of the water splashing around the slick stone she was balancing on.

"Very good." The old woman's voice came out like a hum.

The princess smiled and continued to repeat the motion several times. This was the last of ten stances she was supposed to practice to work on, both for balance and to understand the movement and weight of her body. It may not be the same as slashing through armor with a sword like Sokka, but there was a quiet strength to these exercises she knew held as much power as his blades.

 _Stupid, Sokka_. She frowned into the last movement. Now finished, she and Hama both turned to face each other and bowed out of respect. "Thank you, Hama."

The old woman's wrinkles made her smile almost sinister in a way Gran-Gran's never seemed to. Maybe it had to do with the different experiences the women had lived through.

"Now, I want you to meditate by that waterfall, dear." She suggested, pointing at the small drop. "I'll search for a few herbs we're running low on at the palace in the meantime."

The water would be too loud for her to hear.

Sensing her uneasiness, the guard who had been sitting on the bank called over. "Not to worry, Princess, I'll be right here with you."

Katara smiled at the man and nodded. "Alright," she said.

Hama nodded. "Excuse me, your Royal Highness."

The Princess blushed at the formality but before she could insist Hama call her by her first name, the woman already began walking away.

She stretched before walking toward the bank to avoid the impossible task of swimming against the current to reach the waterfall.

X

The woods were a dangerous place. It was common knowledge that many had been held-up for their little or great wealth, women had been raped, and men killed. For this reason, Zuko always carried dual swords whenever he had to enter the woods for food or to travel to town. Plus they helped with hunting.

Before his father had essentially disowned him, Zuko had always had multiple tutors and teachers to cover both his education and skill as a fighter. He knew how to read, plan, calculate, and use anything from a dagger to a gun. Dual swords were still his favorite.

It really didn't take him too long to catch a large rabbit using a trap. If it hadn't been for his hunger he would have probably already been back home preparing lunch. But with the hunger and anger he was experiencing Zuko couldn't imagine moving too far from the trap he'd made. Really, cooking the rabbit for himself seemed like a great idea at the moment.

Luckily, he knew he was near the creek. There were a few blackberry bushes along the bank. That plus the rootstock of a couple cattails might tide him over for the trip back.

He tied some thin rope around the rabbit and to the strap of the sack he brought along with him. It was best to leave all the messy bits of cleaning the meat for later. After all, he could always use the different parts for something or another.

Zuko stepped along the clearest path toward the creek and could soon hear the sound of rushing water. As usual, he slowed down as he got closer. He knew better than to rush toward the open water source without making sure there was no dangerous wild life or a group of thieves resting in sight.

Luckily, there were no bears. However, he saw what looked like a dead soldier lying by the bank and a thin, cloaked figure creeping toward the waterfall. A crooked dagger glistening red was at the ready in their right hand.

The sack around his shoulder touched the ground without making a sound as Zuko rushed upstream. He used the trees and other plant life to hide his shadow, easing the swords out of their sheath. Just as he lined up with the killer, he saw her.

A young, tan woman with her legs crossed and back straight as she focused on her breathing sat under the waterfall. Water pounded around her while her eyes remained shut. Oblivious to what was about to happen.

Zuko dug his heel into the earth before he launched forward toward the person about to attack her. His feet almost slipped when they touched the wet stones at the bottom of the creek. The awkward movement was enough to create a noticeable splash, catching the attacker's attention. Zuko crossed his arms and pointed the swords' tips to the ground.

The man's eyes were wide and his pupils were dilated. Vaguely, he heard the girl gasp. In one swift motion Zuko slashed the swords up cutting the man's chest in an 'X.' He then swept his leg at the man's ankles making him fall on his rear.

The man's eyes were still wide and frantic as he stared at him. Zuko barely noticed the man prepare to launch the blade at the girl and hit the man's arm just before he released his hold. The dagger hit the rock wall behind the waterfall. As the current began to overpower the man, he grabbed Zuko's leg in a hurry and both tumbled around the water pulling each other under several times.

Desperate to breath, Zuko too frantic to be kind sliced the man's throat with one of the swords. With the other sword he stabbed the ground to not be swept away any further as the drowning man clung to him. Zuko gave the man's chest a hard kick and watched as the body floated away.

He stabbed the other sword into the ground and tried to manage his breathing. He'd swallowed some water during the struggle. Coupled with the lack of food and energy he'd already been suffering from before, Zuko was unable to do more than hold onto the hilts of his swords hoping his desire to live would eventually beat out the fatigue.

A soft voice called out to him and he felt something rough hit him in the face. The next few moments were a blur. He remembered grabbing whatever hit him, something sharp digging into his skin, water, then warmth.

Finally, no longer fearing death, his body shut down and Zuko fainted.

X

AN:/ I honestly didn't expect this to end up being a multi-chapter fic, but it seems that's what's gonna happen. This story will most likely be somewhere around 4 chapters long. I realize it's a bit off from the classic fairy tale, Cinderella, but I hope you've enjoyed what I've written so far. Make sure to please, please, please, give me some feedback! Darkheartlink I hope you like the story!


	2. Chapter 2

**Cinder- Zuko: Chapter 2**

 _Cinderella AU Request: Once upon a time, in a far off land, young Zuko struggles after his mother's death as he's left to follow his father and sister's orders like a common servant. Everyday seems grayer than the last, until he meets a kind stranger who he doesn't recognize as the princess. A masquerade is his only chance at meeting her again, but he'll need help to get there. Zutara_

Katara was beginning to get worried. Hama hadn't returned yet, the guard who was supposed to protect her was dead, and the guy who actually had protected her was lying unconscious. Sokka was right, she'd never been in a fight and that just cost her.

She sat on the damp ground surrounding the stranger. His face looked pale and his eyebrows were furrowed. Well one of them, at least, seeing as the skin where hair should be was pink from a large scar that covered a quarter of his face.

When she first opened her eyes and his face she'd been terrified. Before he had hit her attacker's arm away so she wouldn't be hit the dagger, Katara believed her savior was actually her enemy. It felt stupid and superficial now. He almost died trying to keep her alive.

After she'd pulled him out of the creek, his swords gripped in his fists, Katara tried to help him sit but he'd dropped onto his back. Small cuts ran along the sides of his shirt. His swords must have hit him when she pulled him out. There was some blood and a few scratches around his legs from the fight. All things considered he shouldn't have fainted.

He hadn't even taken in all that much water. She'd checked. This entire situation made her feel a lot more helpless than she had in a long time.

She wasn't good at sitting around worrying, so she made herself useful. She'd covered the dead guard's body with the cloak she'd brought along and prayed over him so his soul could find its way to the next life in peace. Using her training, Katara also did her best to heal the injuries the scarred hero had while she waited with a standard balm she carried for every practice.

Now, she was just waiting for him to wake up. At the ready with a waterskin and an apple.

The sun was finally starting to noticeably travel west. It was somewhere around one or two. If he didn't wake up on his own soon she'd have to do it herself.

She moved her legs and tucked them sideways on the ground. Uncertainly, she reached a hand up toward his face. Just to check for a fever, Katara told herself. Her fingers brushed away the wet bangs sticking to his forehead. The back of her hand was no warmer than his skin. Maybe he was worn-out? There was no way of her knowing how long he'd been out in the woods or what he had been doing—with dual swords at that.

Should she even wait for him to wake up? What if he was a bandit?

Katara rolled her eyes at her own thoughts; he still saved her. She couldn't just leave him in this state, alone, possibly ill, and a lot more vulnerable than she was feeling. No, she'd wait a little longer.

Curiosity led her fingers along his brow, to his temple, down his jaw—following the curve of his scar. Her thumb hovered just above his lip. The scar was soft and firm at the same time. Now that she wasn't looking at it with fear she recognized the injury as a burn. A bad one.

Her throat felt dry.

Katara knew she was being ridiculous. Touching a strange man whose name she didn't even know. Just as the thought to pull her hand back beat the desire to keep it there, his eyebrows relaxed and his eyes opened. They were gold.

He didn't say anything, just looked at Katara with confusion clear in his stare.

Pretending her hand's placement was perfectly natural, she forced what she hoped was a believable smile. "You're awake!"

He blinked. "You're that…" His eyes searched her face for a while. She took that as her queue to take her hand back. "You pulled me out?" His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he sat up. To be honest, she expected he'd be a bit shocked that someone like her saved him. So when he smiled at her gratefully and didn't immediately question her strength Katara was a little shocked. "Thank you. It seems I owe you a debt."

She snorted, shocking him this time. Ignoring the heat in her cheeks at the very unladylike sound, she shook her head at him. "I should be thanking you. You saved my life back there."

He swayed back a little but kept his balance at the last moment.

"Are you okay?" Her blue eyes softened. She reached for his shoulder and did her best to hold him up while searching his body again for anything she may have missed. "You didn't seem too injured but you shouldn't have passed out so easily."

An airy, sarcastic chuckle met her ears. "It wasn't easy."

Still, the princess waited for the man to answer her question. When he didn't she grabbed his face again and made him face her. "Please. Let me help." She noticed him take in a sharp breath and worried she may have been too forceful. This time she tried to give him a warm smile before speaking. "I'm a healer."

This seemed to work. Especially when he slipped from her fingers a bit as he swayed again. "Hungry," he said so quietly that if Katara had been even a little further she wouldn't have understood him.

She let him go and grabbed the apple without looking. "Here," Katara said dropping it on his lap. As he picked it up she pulled the waterskin out and popped the cork off.

The first bite he took was shaky and took some effort. He must have been starving. Some fruit juice almost dribbled down his chin but he quickly lapped it up with his tongue. He wasn't letting anything go to waste.

She handed him the waterskin as she watched. "When was your last meal?"

His focus broke away from the fruit finally and he stared at her blankly. "Yesterday… I'm sure." The statement seemed like a question he was asking himself.

All that was left in her bag was the mango she was saving as a treat, but she couldn't in good conscious expect the apple to be enough. She stood up, pushing some long strands of hair over her shoulder. "I'm Katara, by the way."

"Zuko."

The mango was easy to spot in her bag. She pulled a small knife out and began cutting a large slice as she walked back. The nectar spilled onto her fingers. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Zuko. Though I wish it would have been under better circumstances."

"Likewise," he said peering at her curiously. It seemed he'd already finished the apple. Using her eyes, she signaled to the waterskin in his other hand so he would drink something. "What…what is that?" His finger pointed at her hands

"Hm?" Katara looked down as she sat down next to him again. "It's fruit. We get them imported to the palace from the monks up north." She held a slice toward him.

Zuko took it, though doubtful. Instead of questioning the foreign fruit he opted for a different query. "You're a healer at the palace?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "I…what?" He didn't recognize her? Not even her name?

"I must be in good hands, then." He took a generous bite.

Before she could tell him who she was, her eyes grew wide at his action. "Oh! No, not the peel!"

Zuko stopped chewing and opened his mouth awkwardly with the fruit balancing on his tongue. Probably scared it was poisonous. He was so casual around her. It was different, but nice. Exactly what she always wanted from people like Hama and others at the palace. He wasn't worried about how to address her, much less how to act around her. Zuko just was, even if what he was was a bit awkward.

She laughed a little and took a slice herself. Like at breakfast she bit the fruit to the peel and stripped the flesh from the skin with her teeth. "Like that."

He was blushing as he shut his mouth again. A little bit of peel stuck out of his lips and when he pulled it out it came clean. She nodded.

They finished the rest of the mango together. His pale complexion seemed to gain a bit of color. "So…uh…why were you under a waterfall?" he asked.

"I was training." Katara explained.

"For what?"

She blushed, out of anger more than out of embarrassment. "Combat."

They were both silent for some time. Eventually, it was broken when Zuko stood up and began gathering his things. She watched as he picked up his swords and then strode towards a few bushes.

For a moment she thought he was going to leave her there by herself. Instead, he picked something up from the ground. Zuko started to walk back toward her, but instead of acknowledging her he dropped a satchel and what looked like a dead rabbit where he had been laying.

He only started talking when he kept walking past her toward the creek. He followed the flow of water with his eyes as if he were looking for something. "There are more shameful things than being caught off guard." His voice was grave and angry, though she couldn't understand why. "Maybe you would have faired better than me…"

"What do you mean?" Katara looked back at his swords, turning away from the man she believed she owed her life to. What was going through his head?

She heard him walk into the water. As he waded in the outer edges of the creek Katara made a conscious decision to let herself lose track of time.

Mud kicked up and turned the water murky as he pulled on some plant life. Zuko didn't answer her question, instead he pulled out somewhere around four of those plants before finally sitting next to her again. He took one of his swords and started cutting the thick root away from the long grass like stems at the top. They were cattails, she realized.

"I let him drown," he said, interrupting her silent observations.

Though she knew it was rude, Katara stared at Zuko. So far, this stranger was more intriguing than any other nobleman or villager she'd met. There was palpable anger radiating off of him, but it was there just as much as guilt. Shouldn't he be reveling in his heroics? Trying to sweep her off her feet? Demanding a reward? Any other emotion than regret.

A small pricking sensation on her back reminded her that a few feet away lay a dead man with a family, who had been one of the kindest guards to ever be assigned to her. "It's not like he deserved a trial." Her icy tone shocked her, but the words felt heavy with truth.

She felt him looking at her and tilted her chin up to meet him defiantly. His gold eyes shocked her once again. "It's not that," Zuko said, looking like he was going over the words in his head over and over. "It's just…he didn't—he didn't seem like he was in control. He was scared."

How could he not be in control? Even if the man was being extorted, there was always a choice. He chose murder.

"When I saw him I knew I might have to kill him. But," he sighed and ran a hand through his long black hair. "Katara. I don't regret saving you, I just think…there was something else."

X

Zuko gave Katara the cattail roots to make up for eating her food and escorted her all the way back to the village. On their way, she explained she had been travelling with one other person. Though her teacher never appeared, Katara didn't seem too worried. It made him wonder just what kind of person that Hama lady was.

He knew he'd be in trouble when he went back home late. But when she smiled at him his desperation to please his father and regain his favor disappeared for a moment. Even though something really was bothering him about the man with wide eyes, Zuko was grateful he was able to meet someone like her who didn't look at him with pity, shame, or hatred. Katara was kind, not to mention clever and a fighter.

They stopped just outside the village and faced each other. He wanted to figure out some way to thank her, though for what he wasn't quite sure yet.

Déjà vu interrupted him before he could even open his mouth as her hand rested against his cheek gently. Just like when he woke up. Her fingers touched the pink of his scar. Her boldness wasn't supposed to fit someone proper like her, but it did. Katara wasn't afraid of him, he realized. Warmth grew in his chest and he wanted to do nothing more than linger in that moment. So he closed his eyes.

"How did—?"

"Occupational hazard," he whispered.

"I know a few burn remedies."

"It's a scar."

"I know," she said dejectedly. "I just wish there was more I could do for you."

His eyes opened when he hand disappeared. Blue eyes held his gaze in place. "Katara, I…" he drifted off unsure of how to phrase what he was feeling.

So when she hugged him out of nowhere and said "I hope we meet again" sincerely, he stopped thinking. He hugged her back just before she pulled away and held her tightly to his chest. Zuko dropped his head onto her shoulder and wondered how long he could hold her before she pushed him.

She never did.

"Me too," he whispered and finally let her go.

They separated and went opposite ways. But Zuko held onto the memory of that moment all the way home and into the night. For the first time in years, Zuko owned something his family couldn't snatch away from him.

X

"Dad, about the ball." Katara said the next day during breakfast. Hama was still missing. When her father insisted she not train for sometime, Katara couldn't even make herself argue. There was a very strong possibility that Hama might be dead at this point. The palace was more guarded than usual. She tried not to think about her guard's death body or Zuko's ominous observations.

Hakoda perked up at his daughter's sudden interest the masquerade. "Have you changed your mind?"

She smiled, thinking about her scarred hero. "I'll do it. But under one condition."

She even had Sokka's attention now.

"What is it?" the king asked.

"I want the whole kingdom to be invited. Even the villagers."

X

AN:/ Oh my gosh, this was getting WAY too long so I had to stop. Sorry the creek scene was so long and almost exclusively in Katara's POV. I promise next chapter will have a lot of Zuko. I had planned to write a lot of what will now be for next chapter into this chapter, so I'm sorry I let things get out of hand. I just really saw an opportunity to develop the plot and developing relationship between our two protagonists.

To answer a question I got in a review: No, there is no bending in this story. Katara is learning martial arts and Zuko is a trained fighter. However, an element of ATLA will be coming up next chapter.

Thank you for all your support thus far, everyone! Please review!


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